Abortion Bill

The bill changing the abortion law will be voted today by the Brazilian House of Representatives special committee. The law aims to guarantee the right to life “from conception.” Under the current law, abortion is allowed in cases of rape, when the mother’s life is at risk, or if the fetus is anencephalic.

Argentine Submarine Still Missing

Comandante Espora leaving the naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on Saturday as part of the search for a missing submarine. CreditVicente Robles/Associated Press

An Argentine Navy submarine on a mission to stop illegal fishing boats off the coast of Patagonia went missing last week. They last made contact on Wednesday morning to report damage to the vessel’s battery system. Military ships and aircraft have been scouring a 186-square-mile stretch of ocean, but no trace of the missing sub has been found. Time is the enemy – if the vessel sank, there will be limited oxygen for the 44 crew members.

U.S. Suing to Block Merger

The Justice Department sued to block AT&T’s $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner on Monday. If the merger goes through, a media and telecommunications behemoth would be created. AT&T is already one of the nation’s largest internet and telephone providers and the largest television distributor in the United States. By challenging the deal, the Trump administration is taking an approach to draw limits on corporate power in the fast-evolving media landscape, a stark contrast to the Obama administration. AT&T is trying to stall slow growth in its core businesses and fend off online video upstarts like Netflix and Hulu.

Sanctions against North Korea

President Trump on Monday officially designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, with the purpose of drastically increasing pressure on the nation to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

North Korea will join Sudan, Syria and Iran as countries that the State Department identifies as those that have “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.”

Sexual Harassment Accusations

More than 30 men have been accused of sexual misconduct in recent weeks in the United States. Longtime television host Charlie Rose has been accused by multiple women that he made sexual advances towards them. Senator Al Franken has been accused of harassing a woman in 2010, when he was already in office. And The New York Times suspended a White House correspondent, Glenn Thrush to investigate a published report accusing him of sexual misconduct.